The morning sun shone softly through the stained-glass windows of Beauxbâtons, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the floor of the Grand South Wing, where the Potions examination was being held. Eira White stood at the gates of the testing hall, her Ombrelune robes crisp and formal, her long white hair neatly tied back. There was a calm confidence in her eyes, and a strange sense of stillness within her—a far cry from the nerves humming through the rest of the students.
Inside, rows of desks awaited the students. The scent of parchment and powdered silverroot hung faintly in the air. Professor René Voclain, tall and statuesque in her emerald teaching robes, stood at the front with her arms crossed behind her back, looking over the gathered examinees like a hawk waiting for motion. Her presence was quiet but powerful and intimidating, even in silence.
"Take your seats," she finally said, her voice like iron smoothed over silk. "You have exactly one hour and thirty minutes. No use of wands. No whispering. No second chances. You may begin."
With a swish of her wand, the exam scrolls unraveled mid-air and dropped before each student.
Eira picked hers up and unrolled it carefully.
⸻
Part One: Theoretical Examination — Advanced Potion Theory
1. Explain the chemical-magical properties of Belladonna when combined with powdered opal. What potion uses this combination, and what effect does the lunar phase have on its potency?
2. List and explain five rare ingredients that can be used as stabilizers in complex transformative potions. Include one example of a potion for each.
3. The Wolfsbane Potion requires a specific brewing schedule to prevent magical volatility. Describe this schedule in detail, and explain why deviation from it can be fatal.
4. You are brewing a Forgetfulness Potion, but the potion turns lavender instead of periwinkle. Identify the error and propose a correction.
5. Design a theoretical potion that allows limited underwater breathing. List ingredients, steps, magical principles, and risks involved.
⸻
Eira's quill moved swiftly. She answered with precision and clarity, citing not only textbook theory but also additional references from obscure texts she'd read late into many nights in the library. Her answer to the first question detailed the volatile reaction of Belladonna's magical alkaloids when infused with opal powder under a waxing moon—used in potions such as Murmure de Rêves, a rare sleeping draught known to invoke prophetic dreams.
For the stabilizers question, she named ingredients like powdered unicorn bone, moonlight-charred nettles, phoenix feather ash, crushed onyx seed, and bloodrose extract—each linked to complex potions she described with ease. And when it came to potion design, her theoretical "Sirène's Breath" potion included jellyfish essence, silver kelp, and starfish core, brewed under tidal-aligned charms.
She was the last to rise from her desk, submitting her scroll with a composed nod to Professor Voclain, who merely raised an eyebrow and gave a slow, approving nod in return.
⸻
Part Two: Practical Examination — Brewing
By midday, the testing chamber had transformed. Rows of individual cauldrons bubbled softly, each assigned to a student. Shimmering barriers separated the stations to avoid cross-contamination and interference. Voclain now stood at a demonstration table, beside an array of ingredients.
"Your task," she announced, "is to brew a flawless Elixir de Clarté Mentale—Clarity of Mind Elixir. It is a Class V potion. You will have two hours. I expect precision, timing, and above all, understanding."
Eira's eyes sparked. The Elixir de Clarté Mentale was notoriously difficult—not because of complexity, but because of how exact the measurements had to be. A millisecond too long stirring counterclockwise, or a single grain too much of crystallized frostroot, and the potion would turn cloudy—ruined.
She set to work, hands steady, mind focused.
Step 1: Foundation Base
She filled her silver cauldron with spring water collected under moonlight. With a precise clockwise swirl, she dropped in powdered periwinkle, followed by ground whispering mint.
Step 2: Layered Infusion
She added three drops of essence of moon poppy—timed perfectly with her heartbeat—and allowed it to settle. Then came crushed frostroot, added grain by grain as she counted in ancient numerals.
Step 3: Binding and Final Stabilization
The potion shimmered pale blue. Eira added the final touch: two drops of memory orchid sap, filtered through fine silk. As she stirred—three clockwise, one counter, repeated for ten rotations—the potion gave a soft, silver glow and turned perfectly translucent.
Professor Voclain appeared beside her, leaning slightly to observe. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, then she picked up her potion vial, turned it gently toward the light, and said softly, "Perfect viscosity, ideal hue. You've achieved full clarity. Well done, Mademoiselle White. Full marks from me. You didn't disappoint."
Eira exhaled slowly, bowed her head respectfully, and replied, "Thank you, Professor."
⸻
Two Days Later — Grand Study Hall, East Wing
The next exam loomed—Histoire Magique de France. The great study hall was filled with parchment, quills, and magical ink that recorded answers with traceable authenticity. Students filed in nervously, but Eira walked with quiet determination to her seat.
Madame Duvall, a stern woman with half-moon spectacles and an air of proud formality, floated down the aisle with a wave of her wand. "This is an oral and written exam," she declared. "Each of you will receive a set of written questions and, following that, individual oral examination. Begin."
Eira opened her scroll.
⸻
Written Section:
1. Describe the role of the Château du Mage Noir during the Dark Wars of 1347 and its significance in magical diplomacy between France and Italy.
2. Explain the foundation of Beauxbâtons Academy and its original charter. How has its role evolved politically and culturally?
3. Name five influential magical families of French history and detail one major contribution from each to magical society.
4. Explain the outcome of the Treaty of Calais (1772) and how it shaped magical border laws.
5. How did the Magical Revolution of 1621 affect wandmaking traditions in Southern France?
⸻
Eira's quill moved fluidly.
For question one, she cited the Château's use as a refuge for fleeing Venetian spellcasters and its later transformation into a neutral peace ground under Enchantress Élise de la Brume. In the second, she recalled the original charter's language, even quoting the opening lines in old French.
For question five, she eloquently discussed how the revolution led to artisan wands using local cores like Provençal phoenix plumes, breaking the monopoly of Northern wandmakers and spawning a renaissance of regional craft.
⸻
Oral Examination:
"Miss White," Madame Duvall called. "Come forward."
Eira stood before her with grace.
"Tell me," the professor asked, her tone sharp, "how did the Lavande Reforms change magical education among rural communities in France during the late 1800s?"
Eira replied calmly, "The Lavande Reforms, spearheaded by Minister Aurore Lavande in 1883, introduced government-sponsored magical schooling programs, sending traveling instructors to isolated magical hamlets. This increased literacy in magical law and spellwork, and many rural witches entered the formal magical workforce for the first time. The program was particularly impactful in Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes."
Madame Duvall raised her eyebrows slightly, then moved to her final question. "Name one major contribution of the Voclain family to potion development in the 15th century."
"They invented the base formula for Draught of Wand Harmony," Eira answered, "a potion used to attune new wands to their wielders more quickly, which is still used today for wand transitions after trauma or magical disruption."
A pause.
Then: "Très bien. That will be all, Miss White."